Perfect World
by Shadow-Aura-Knight
Summary: Life ends with Death. Death leads to Life. This is an endless cycle; an archetype of the universe. Now, when fates are crossed, completely unrelated events become relevant to each other, and fate rewrites itself. Reborn/TF
1. Never Say Never

**Hi there people of FF (again). Now, if you've ever met me before, you'd know I write a small reborn fic called Tending the Garden, and that it hasn't updated in over a year. Well, it'll stay that way until I conquer the dreaded Writers Block for it.**

**I say "for it", because this has come up. This story, Perfect World, written by me and an author who'd like to stay anonymous. Another journey into the world of the Reborn. Another journey... into life's mysteries. But enough of that, here's a word from Mr. Anon:**

Hi there. I'm Shadow's anonymous co-author. I plan on remaining anonymous, though I actually have a FanFiction account. (I just don't use it.) I am also a Pokemon fanfiction writer; it's just that I don't write fanfiction anymore. It really is an honor to be able to write with Shadow. He's a great author, in my opinion. If you wish to contact me, you may do so through Shadow. I'll be writing various chapters and sections of chapters throughout the course of the story. This prologue is actually written entirely by myself. Don't bother making attempts to identify who I am, as it will be well-nigh impossible. My writing style has changed drastically since I wrote my first fanfiction.

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**Prologue: Never Say Never**

A young man among a group of older men. The image just didn't seem to fit. Eventually, most of the scientists left, leaving the boy and a couple of others alone to finish cleaning up, taking notes, and resetting the machines. All scientists were trained with evacuation procedures and such in case of an emergency. It all seemed so pointless to the boy, as it did for the men. These evacuation drills were overrated like the earthquake drills back at school; nothing ever went wrong. Ever. Never.

Never say never.

The siren was bloody loud, echoing throughout the entire lab. The sound started the boy, who fumbled with the empty beaker and just barely catching it before it fell out of his reach. He nearly dropped the flask that he was moving over to put away, which would only made matters worse.

Nearly.

A red light was crawling throughout the room, spinning in different directions, creating some kind of pathetic light show. The boy, attempting to catch his breath, stared at the annoying siren and cursing under his breath. The other scientists were looking around as well, puzzled looks spread across their faces. One man had worry hidden behind his glasses. It was completely abnormal for the sirens to go off. It's just simply something that never happened.

Never say never.

Suddenly, the lights shut down. The bright screens dimmed and disappeared in a blink. The power was out; that never happened either.

Never say never.

A gunshot emitted itself from behind the door, which was soon blown across the room, smashing a man into a work desk. Warm blood drooled down the cold metal like a rushing stream, nearly a waterfall. His soul had already fled the dead vessel.

That man was spared.

We all rushed over to the body, desperately trying to save he who could not be saved.

Yet he already was. It was damn ironic.

Ironic.

I pulled at his coat sleeve with my trembling hand. I felt my legs shake. The blood had already left my face, as his had already left his body. I didn't know what I should've felt at the time. I think I was walking along that fine line between scared and depressed. I had liked him.

I liked all of these people around me.

People...

He was a friend, yet they were all my friends; every single one of them. They welcomed me with friendly smiles, yet, at this precise moment, I forgot how to smile myself. How could anyone smile, anyways? Not now, not ever. Never.

Never say never.

A group of men with large firearms flooded throughout the room, a single barrel aimed at each of our heads. They were all in pitch black uniforms, masks over each of their faces. I had no idea how they could see; the mask covered their eyes as well. It was bloody creepy. I looked to my left; there was definitely a gun pointed at my head. I lifted my hands above my head, as did the others, but I quickly wiped some tears from my face first. I was crying, yet who wouldn't?

Wouldn't.

Couldn't.

Shouldn't.

A man in a pure white labcoat walked into the room, hands held behind his back. That coat was like ours, yet he was not. I tried to get a look at his face, but he was wearing pitch-black shades. The doors were blocked by the walls. His face bore no expression, and the poor lighting made it impossible to identify his hair's colour. I guessed that he would remain an enigma forever; there was no way for me to figure out his identity.

Identity...

He brought his hands together, and the dim sound of a light but exaggerated clap rocked the room. "Well done, well done," he said in a slow voice.

He was taunting us; he breaks into the head branch, kills one of us, and then mocks us.

"I had heard that you were developing the technology here... I was waiting. Simply waiting. But I guess you finished earlier than I originally anticipated. Perhaps this is one of the scarce locations I am glad that my hypothesis was incorrect."

The corners of his mouth lifted. His head was facing mine; he must've noticed the fear, the shock, the panic.

I had just realized that he knew about the project. He couldn't have; it was top-secret. Yet, somehow he knew...

Somehow...

And...

then...

I began to fear for our lives...

That later become what I could probably categorize as being the least of my concerns.

"These new developments have the power to change the world. It's so fortunate that you completed the difficult part for me." He brought his hands together for one loud last bang, which thinned out before becoming absorbed into the tense air. I sucked my breath writing into my chest, feeling, sensing, every single part of my body, my being.

I knew what was probably to come.

We should all be dead now.

Yet we're not.

Because he knew.

I wept in silence.

I wish that I could hear my own voice for one last time.

"Shall we begin?"

Begin.

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"By the way, we can't ask you to submit OCs to us or offer your ideas, as 'reader interaction' is strictly prohibited. We apologize that we can't put this in our chapter."

**But you can still review, and I still make it a habit to name my reviewers, so review if you want.**


	2. Beginning, Middle, End

**Eh heh heh. Sorry 'bout the lack of update. I, uh, lost contact with my co-author over our normal communication route. Which sucked. So, uh, yeah. I actually haven't read this yet, so let's read it together, shall we? After another word from Anon**:

"I'd just like to thank all of those who have chosen to register an alert for this story. You wouldn't believe how glad I am that people are reading this story. We're still in a bit of a prologue/introduction phase, but we'll eventually get the plot rolling."

* * *

**Chapter 1: Beginning, Middle, End**

I quickly filled out the form and handed it back to the security guard, perhaps slightly surprised at my writing speed. Well, I had filled out one of these not too long ago when I entered Saffron, then again...

Perhaps I'm just a bit unique in his eyes.

He was a large man. His eyes had a spark of what remained of youth. His hair was pale here and there, already losing its colour. A rough exterior, a tough shell. He skimmed through what I wrote before putting it through the photocopier. He signed both forms and handed the original back to me with a grin on his face. "Here you go, Missus," he said with his harsh voice. I smiled back, taking the sheet of paper and slipping it into my pale brown shoulder-strap bag.

I held out my hand. Maybe I shouldn't have; he was quite taken back by it, so I guess that he doesn't see many like me. Perhaps I am unique. When he saw the nervousness in my face, he swiftly grabbed my hand and gave it a stern shake. "Have a safe journey," he said; I sensed the joy and excitement in his voice. This feeling followed me as I went through the large, grey, metal doors. I let the sun shine down on my face, the fresh air fill my lungs.

Beginning, Middle, End.

My name's Chloe Badar. I'm 21 years old, and I'm beginning my journey as a professional journalist. Writing has always been a passion of mine, and I love seeing people at peak performance, doing the best that they possibly can. I wish to share wonderful experiences with others.

I was born in Celadon City, where I grew up and studied. Now that I've taken some writing courses, I am disembarking on a treacherous quest to reach Goldenrod City, where I hope to receive a job. Although I would arrive at my first destination far sooner if I took the Magnet Train in Saffron City, I would miss out on all the opportunities for me to grow and develop, both as a writer and a person. Well, I guess there are financial concerns as well...

I've never gone farther than the four cities at the heart of Kanto. This will be my first real adventure, and you wouldn't believe how exhilarating this is. I can only describe this feeling as "beyond words," which is rather ironic, considering I am a professional writer, soon to be professional journalist.

Now outside in the freshness of the world, I reached into my bag and took out a Pokeball. I released my Smeargle.

This is Sketch. He's my best friend, my study partner, and my personal editor. Yes, he's literate. We've known each other as far as I can remember; I decided that it would be a good idea to teach him how to read and write, though his penmanship could use some improvement.

His glazed eyes came back into focus as he shook around his arms and swayed his tail. I prefer not to keep him in his Pokeball. He's not some slave, a personal servant who shall obey me in all ways. He's my friend, my partner, and my equal. I'd be lost without him by my side.

He shook his head back and forth and then gave me the thumbs-up. We high-fived once before heading down to Vermilion City. It's a major port, where the ship to Olivine City will disembark. I specifically chose to wait for this particular cruise; the sailing will include an exclusive beginner's one-on-one Pokemon tournament. I'm no trainer; I don't have a license. However, this would be a great challenge for me to test out my journalism skills.

As we walked down the rough, sandy, dusty path, I took some mental notes. I had numerous notebooks, pencils, erasers, pens, and other necessities in my bag. However, I didn't want to exhaust my resources, or my wallet, when I've barely begun; my mind would suffice for now.

One thing that I loved about this particular Route was the irregularity of the path. This wasn't a natural path; it was definitely man-made. The peculiar part is that they chose to create an S-like shape through the grass. I guess that this choice may have been made to preserve the natural habitats here, but a direct path to Vermilion would have still made the split equal. In fact, even more of the environment is lost like this. I eventually told myself that it didn't matter; this had happened so long ago, and by now new habitats would've been established.

I felt Sketch tug on my hand. I looked down, and he pointed toward a large patch of grass. This type of vegetation is generally green, although it may change into a brown colour when neglected.

Grass isn't pale purple, which I definitely saw some of in that grass. We advanced and realised that what we were seeing was what appeared to be a sleeping Pokemon. Its body was covered with short purple fur, and its ears were large and pointed at different angles at the ends. It had tufts of fur out of the sides of its head, and it had a red jewel on its forehead.

It was an Espeon; definitely not common in these parts.

Its eyes suddenly burst open, panic being an evident emotion in its dark eyes. I have no idea whether or not it was actually asleep. It got to its feet and sprinted away as fast as it could.

"Hey, wait up!" I yelled, chasing after it. I still do not know why I chose to chase it. I could've just as easily left it alone. What would I have done if I caught up to it? Interview it?

Anyways, Espeons are fast, and this one was even more so than what I originally believed them to be. My sprint gradually slowed down to a complete stop, and I panted trying to catch my breath. Sketch arrived shortly afterward. I stood there for a while, leaning over, hands on my legs. My hair was dangling down.

My pounding heart began to lighten and slow down. I took one more deep breath, and then we continued.

We didn't get too far after that.

A young boy ran up to me. He wore a white t-shirt and brown shorts, attire quite suitable for such a hot day. The wind played around with his messy brown hair as his glowing eyes beamed at Sketch.

"Hey, Missus," he said, "That's a cool Pokemon! Let's battle!"

That took me by surprise. The child looked to be around ten years of age. "A battle?" I asked back.

"Yeah," he replied, "You know, a Pokemon battle!" He reached down to his belt and pulled out two Pokeballs. "Please! It'll be fun!"

Well, I thought about it, I analysed the situation. Sketch was my only Pokemon, and I didn't really want to put him through something like a fight. However, this could be a good opportunity for me to practise note-taking in a fast-paced battle. It might also prepare us for any misfortunes throughout the rest of the journey. I looked down at Sketch and he nodded. I nodded back.

"Alright," I said to the young man, "I accept your challenge. Oh, and I don't intend on losing."

I held out my hand and he shook it. "Yay! Let's battle, Missus!"

We both walked away in opposite directions along the road. There wasn't anyone else travelling down here at the time, so it wasn't a major problem.

"Go, Sandshrew!" he yelled, throwing his first Pokeball, releasing my first opponent in a flash of light.

"Let's get this started," I said as Sketch ran out onto the battlefield.

"Use Swift!" ordered the young trainer. The ground-type opened its mouth and a series of white stars flew out of its mouth. Sketch held his arms up over his face and took the attack; this move never misses, so all attempts to escape its scope would be in vain. Just as I was about to give him an order, I heard my opponent announce his next move.

"Now," yelled the boy, his voice overflowing with excitement, "use Rollout!"

The Sandshrew curled up into a ball and started rolling at the opponent, dust from the road flying into the air. Sketch was still shaking off the last attack.

"Sketch," I yelled, "Dodge to your right!"

My partner was never that fast. He did his best to dodge, but the attack made contact with his left foot, causing him to lose balance and fall, skidding across the rough dirt. I saw the Sandshrew begin to turn around.

"Run into the grass!" I ordered. This was the only way for the attack to work.

Sketch got up and made his way into a nearby patch of grass; green fields surrounded the entire path we were battling on. Our opponent was gaining on us, but my partner knew what to do; he knew what move to use as well. He grabbed his tail and held it forward, his natural ink glowing green. Just as the Sandshrew rolled into the grass, the blades locked themselves together, forming a barrier-like net, essentially trapping the ground-type.

"What just happened!?" screamed the boy.

"Grass Knot," I replied, looking up from the notebook I was using to take notes. "Sketch got it from a trip to see Erika." My ink on my pen continued to flow as the Sandshrew tried to roll even faster in desperation, hoping to break the grass cage. It was only making things worse; the grass was definitely having a negative effect on his rock-like skin, creating clearly visible striations. The grass lifted the Pokemon higher into the air before breaking the bond of his orb-like form and then crushing his limbs. Sketch let go of his tail, which swayed back to its normal position. The Sandshrew was dropped onto the ground, clearly exhausted.

The boy pulled out his Pokeball and returned his Pokemon. "You did well, Sandshrew," he said as he reached for the second and final Pokeball on his belt.

"Go, Pidgeotto!" The red light formed a relatively large brown and white bird. I was rather surprised to see him have such a powerful Pokemon at this early of an age... then again, there have been trainers who started their journeys not too much older than himself.

The Pidgeotto flew at Sketch, flinging him deeper into the grass patch; I could no longer see his heard in the tall blades. "Sketch!" I yelled.

I saw him, hand on his head, emerge from the field. However, he was almost immediately blown back down by the opponent's Whirlwind. I could literally see the power of the wind.

"Pidgeotto," I heard the boy yell, "Get ready for the final blow!" I watched as the bird flew higher in the air for a final dive.

"Quick!" I ordered. I didn't realise the irony of what I just said until the words had already escaped my mouth.

Sketch, swaying slightly, grabbed his tail yet again. It glowed blue this time as the Pokemon began to charge.

The light grew brighter... and then I felt it. It was almost as if time froze itself. Weird beams began to shoot from my partner's tail. The Pidgeotto looked as if it was just a picture in a painting. It wasn't moving at all.

"What's happening?" the boy asked. His voice stretched out as he said it. I looked around the area, seeing the weird distortions in the environment. It was as if my glasses had taken on a blue tint.

"Trick Room," I said slowly. It sounded as if I spoke at a normal pace. "Speed is totally reversed."

I turned to look at my partner, whose tail was glowing a very pale green, though it looked a bit more blue than reality. There were definitely small orbs flowing into the tip, joining with the already bright light.

"Now!" I ordered. Sketch released a gigantic Solar Beam at the frozen Pidgeotto. The sky was engulfed in light.

At that moment, the blue disappeared, vision returned to normal, and the Pidgeotto began to fall from the sky. The young trainer returned his Pokemon before contact was made with the ground.

I expected to see tears in the boy's eyes. I'm not a trainer, but Smeargles have the ability to learn literally any move from another Pokemon. I had him learn moves that I felt would be most practical.

The boy was beaming at me. "That was a great battle, missus!" he said, running up towards me. I advanced as well, and Sketch joined us too, though it seemed as if he was limping slightly. I slipped my notebook and pen back into my bag.

"That's a really cool Pokemon," he said, staring at Sketch, "I've never seen one before."

"Well," I replied, "Your Pokemon are pretty rare as well. Sandshrews aren't from around these parts, and it's probably going to evolve soon since it knows Rollout."

The boy looked up at me, his eyes glowing with excitement. "Really!?"

I nodded. "Yeah, Sandshrews learn Rollout not too long before they become Sandslash."

"I'm going to keep training," he said, "I really love my Pokemon."

I felt my heart swell when he said that. "Yeah, I can tell."

"Really!?"

"Yeah, but why don't you name your Pokemon?"

The boy looked a bit puzzled. "Name them?"

"My partner's name," I said, pointing at my editor, "is Sketch. We're best buddies." I held up my hand for a high-five, which he returned a bit weakly.

"Okay!" the boy exclaimed, but then his face filled with concern. "But... Missus, do you know how to get to Vermilion City."

"Yeah, just follow this path," I said, pointing forwards; I made sure to take note of where I was coming from and where I was going, as the route looks the same both ways.

"Thank you!" he said. As he was about to turn around to leave...

"Wait," I cut in, "Do you want me to walk you back?"

He stared at me for a while. "My mommy told me that I shouldn't hang out with strangers."

I was a bit taken back by this; I had forgotten the obvious age difference between us. I've always enjoyed the company of children. "But," I said, "We're friends now, aren't we?" I think that I might've sounded a bit hurt, because I noticed a bit of guilt in the boy's face.

"Yeah, you're right!" He grabbed my hand. "My name's Timothy, Missus! I live in Vermilion City!"

"You don't need to keep calling me Missus. We're friends now, remember? My name's Chloe. I'm from Celadon City."

"Celadon? Cool! I've always wanted to go there!"

I nodded. "Maybe you should ask your mom to take you there one day."

One day...

The rest of my day was a blur. We reached town not too long after, but I urged Timothy to return home as quick as possible. The sky was grey, and I definitely saw some dark clouds advancing. After Sketch and I checked in at the hotel, we decided to make a quick stop at the Pokemart to buy some supplies. I'm staying at a small place by the pier, as that's where I'll be boarding the ship to Olivine. On our way back, winds suddenly picked up; they were even stronger than what I saw from the Pidgeotto. It began to pour as well, and the cold rain felt like bullets on my body. My bag isn't waterproof. (I should probably fix that.) Sketch and I rushed back to our room; I never expected it to be this bad.

Sketch shook himself dry, and I took off my coat and lay down on my bed. I was exhausted from today. That's when I noticed a really annoying sound in the background. I thought that it would be relatively quiet at this time of night. The noise grew louder, and that's when I was able to figure out what it was. The wind and rain muffled the sound, so I couldn't recognize it at first.

It was definitely a siren.

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**Grumble... Sorry 'bout this edit, but Anon wants to make sure everyone know he wrote this without my help or input. As if me saying I hadn't read it before now didn't already indicate that. Grumble...**


	3. Not Always Sunny

**Uh... Hey there everyone. This is Shadow again with a double update feature. Since I had no way of contacting Anon, I wrote this bit up as the next chapter. And now Anon is telling me to upload it to make up for the lack of updates. So, uh, yeah. You get a double dose of Perfect World today.**

**Reviewers' Thanks: **Yera-roo, HappyHereford, pikachuhunter1, Stolloss, Galalithial, Polorgear, PrincessTikal, Nianque, lizard owner445, pyco fox, trherring.

**AND SPECIAL THANKS TO: **THE srgeman. **You're the best, and I don't think we'll ever be able to repay you for what you've done.**

"We apologise for the delays in our chapter updates; both of us have been unavailable for the majority of this week. I hope that you all enjoy our double update. "

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**Chapter 2: Not Always Sunny**

The sun was slowly rising, casting a pale light on the ships docked at the Vermilion Harbor. Few fishermen were about at this time, most of them glancing worriedly at the gathering dark clouds out to the north of the city. It threatened to be a big storm, one of the largest to strike the port town, and no one knew when it would strike.

However, there were not just the fishermen around the docks. On a wooden pier, two young adults sat, the sun's reflection on the water a reminder that today proved to be a hot day. The one, a girl of around seventeen, was holding a small egg, while the other, a male of about the same age, was staring off, thinking about the girl.

"Hey, Nicole?" he asked. The girl, Nicole, looked over to him. He was still looking out at the sea, but he turned to her, his light brown hair bouncing slightly to reveal his green eyes, grinning widely. "Want to go for a swim?"

Nicole blinked her brown eyes a couple of times, her brain processing what her friend had said to her. She nodded. "Sure, Rick. Out here," she gestured to the glistening sea, "or in town?"

Rick continued his grin. "Well, I was thinking about going swimming right here, right now." Nicole looked confused, until Rick grabbed her Pokemon egg and pushed her into the ocean. She surfaced quickly, spitting water out of her mouth and trying to wring some salt out of her long black hair. Rick laughed at her, and continued to laugh even as she splashed water onto his clothes. He set the egg down, and jumped into the water with a large splash. The two of them proceeded to have a splash fight for the longest time, getting completely soaked through with the salty water.

A fishing boat came up to the two, a huge burly man in a red jacket piloting. "Hey you two!" He called out to them. His voice was rough, but infused with a light tone, and his dull gray eyes sparkled from the sun's reflection on the waves. "You're scaring the fish away, not to mention you'll be trying to get the salt out of those clothes for weeks! Want any help getting back up?"

"Thank you, sir." Nicole said, eying Rick. Her clothes would be salty, but from his grin, he had planned ahead and brought a second set with him in his bag. The fisherman threw a rope into the water, and the two climbed up onto the deck. He pulled the rope back up, and navigated his boat parallel to the pier so they could get off. "Thanks again."

The fishermen chuckled. "No problem you two." He looked up into the sky towards the dark clouds. They hadn't moved much, but he could have sworn that they had. He looked back at the two, and said, "Well, I'm going to go catch some fish. If I were you two, I'd stay here to let my clothes dry afore I went back home."

Nicole and Rick waved after the fishermen, and lay down on the pier, Nicole resting the egg atop her chest. The sun was already hanging brightly over Vermilion, which put their time splashing about at close to an hour or so. She heard Rick sigh, and looked over to see him staring off into the distance again. "What are you thinking about Rick?" she asked.

He didn't turn to look at her when he replied. "I just can't think of life without you Nicole. You'll be leaving for your own adventure through the world in only a couple of weeks, while I'll be stuck here watching over the family business. If only I could go with you."

Nicole had the same feeling about leaving Rick, but they both knew that they couldn't go together; Rick had an important job cooking most of the food for his family's restaurant, while she would be trying to achieve her dream of getting into one of the League Championships. It was hard to have to leave him, but life always made people choose between two choices, both of them more important than the other.

He chuckled suddenly, pulling her out of those thoughts. He turned, and scanned her up and down. "I think we should lay here for a while. Follow that fisherman's advice and dry up some." Nicole's incredulous stare only caused Rick to burst out laughing, causing her to laugh as well. They laughed for a few minutes, and finally calmed down to lie on the pier to dry up. The sun would make quick work of the water, and the two of them could be on their way back to their homes for something to eat.

Neither of them expected to fall asleep, or for the distant clouds to suddenly come rushing, for heavy winds to blow down trees and rain to fall from the sky and sting like hail. They woke quickly, the sudden downpour and howling winds rocking the slippery pier making it impossible to even think of anything other than to get to shelter. A strong gust of wind rushed across the pier, and Rick slipped, almost falling into the churning waves, but Nicole grabbed him and pulled him up. "I think I broke my leg," Rick said as he tried to take a step before almost collapsing again. He grunted when Nicole shifted the egg in her grasp so she could carry it and Rick to safety at the end of the pier.

Surprisingly, she was able to carry them down and onto the safer concrete dock. The fisherman that had helped them earlier was guiding some of the others to tie down their boats when he saw the two, and ran over quickly to help carry Rick. Nicole let the much stronger man take hold of him, and turned quickly when another blast of wind knocked the egg out of her grasp and into the water. She jumped after it, not hearing either of the two men screaming at her, and dived down after the small egg.

Both the fisherman and Rick watched for her, both wanting to go in after her but neither willing, when the egg popped up from the water, followed by Nicole. She swam over to the dock, fighting against the numerous waves, and got the egg up onto the dock. She climbed up after it, but slipped back into the water, cracking her skull on the solid concrete. The fisherman set Rick down, and dove in after her, fearing that maybe she wouldn't have slipped if he had gone in after her. He found her floating limply, and knew as surely as this storm was bad, that she was dead. But he couldn't leave her body in the restless sea, and grabbed her hand. She was light in the water, and he threw her up onto the dock, scrambling out after her.

Rick saw her blood flowing out of her head, and also knew that she probably wouldn't make it. His tears blended in with the rain, and he grabbed her Pokemon egg as the fisherman called an ambulance for them both. It would be too late for her. Her dreams were gone, out at sea. All that remained was her egg.

Rick sat there, thinking, until the ambulance came and got them. He continued to think, looking at her body as paramedics tried desperately to save her. He thought the whole way into the hospital, where the attendants took the egg to check to make sure the Pokemon inside hadn't died from the water pressure. When he was wheeled into the room with her body, the doctor on the phone with her parents, he made his decision. He would continue her legacy. He would take her egg and become its new parent. He would become a Pokemon Trainer in her memory.

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**Keep in mind that this is pure me, and not him. It shows. Thanks for putting up with the delay, and see you next time!**


	4. Why?

**'Oi. Uh... yeah. This is the next chapter of Perfect World. Written by both me and Anon. Well, segmented and then written. Also watch out for confusing time lapses. That'll fix itself next chapter.**

**Reviews:** srgeman, PrincessTikal, Galalithial, pyco fox, trherring, Lightning-Alchemist-Rini, Nianque, and Sanablades **Thanks! Now, Anon has his own thanks to give.**

"I thank all who are still reading this story; it is an honour for it to be read."

* * *

My body was still aching from all of that walking today, but I was curious about the sirens. It sounded as if they were coming closer and closer.

Was there an accident?...

Sketch grabbed my raincoat for me as I gradually rolled out of bed. He was probably exhausted as well, but we both share this in common: We won't let an opportunity pass by without a care. Even so, it was difficult to force myself off of the mattress; it was far more comfortable then what I paid for. I could probably just lay there for the rest of my life.

I left my bag with all of my writing equipment inside the room, and then I locked the door. For the second time, I noticed the quaint craftsmanship of the doorknob. There wasn't a window in the room, but I could hear pattering from the ceiling, which was probably close to the roof. I didn't want my belongings to get soaked again, but this jacket was waterproof. We carefully rushed down the stairs, keeping a firm grip on the fine, vintage wood railings. This wasn't a standard hotel; it was an inexpensive inn run by an elderly widow. It was a house that belonged to her and her husband, but she moved around the furniture and had some renovations done after his death. She rents out rooms to travelers passing by; I guess she enjoys the company.

We walked down into the lobby, where Lady Patterson was behind the desk. Her white hair was bundled up nicely, and she was sitting in her armchair reading an old book. She looked up at me as I came down, her face worn down by time, the fire in her eyes dimmed but still present.

"Why, hello, Ms. Badar," she said with her aged but sweet voice, "It's good to see you again." I think that she noticed my clothes. "You're not planning on going out _there_, are you?" I couldn't hear the siren anymore, so the emergency vehicle must have stopped.

"Yes, I am," I replied, "I want to see what's going on outside."

Her face turned grave; she was startled with concern. "Are you sure? It's not very pleasant weather, you know."

"I'm a journalist," I explained, "It would be good for me to check things out, right?"

She stared at me for a while; I didn't realise what she was thinking about then until far later. She released a long sigh, and then stared back down at her book.

"Fine, fine... Just be sure to close the door on your way out. I don't want too much rain getting in here, and we don't want all of the heat to escape."

Sketch waved goodbye to her as we walked towards the main door. It was far more modern compared to the rest of the building; everything in the main room was upgraded for added protection. It was the same with the windows. The curtains were shut now, but I saw them earlier. We pulled it open and walked outside.

As soon as we did, the wind nearly blew us away. The rain felt like bullets against my body, even with the coat on. Sketch grabbed onto my leg for support; I could feel that his fur was already soaked. I looked around, and my vision was quickly blurred; the rain was collecting on my glasses. It was dark outside, and the sky was definitely cloud-covered. Trees were swaying in the wind; if the gusts were any stronger, a few of them might have fallen.

I noticed some flashing lights down the seaside walkway, so Sketch and I advanced towards them. We walked slowly along the soaked pathway; it was like walking in a pool of shallow water. The lights were growing even brighter, flashing blue and red.

I saw them.

There was an ambulance and a police car parked by the pier. We walked briskly through the heavy downpour. There were only a few people out there. It looked as if a boy in his mid-teens was injured and was receiving medical attention. I also saw what appeared to be a fisherman, along with a few men in uniform.

There was also something being loaded into the back of the ambulance; it was covered and rested on a stretcher.

I knew what that mound was.

I ran over, yelling, "Hey!" My voice blew away as soon as it left my mouth.

I saw one police officer turn his head and move towards me. I couldn't believe that someone actually heard; the storm was so strong that the environment was conquered by the sounds of wind and rain.

"What's going on? Did something happen?" I questioned.

The man was young, but his eyes were dead. Not emotionally dead, just... dead. "Nothing happened here. You should be indoors right now. It's not safe to be out in a storm like this."

My fingers were numb, and I could barely feel my face. My lips felt alien to me as I asked, "Is that person going to be okay?"

The officer grabbed me, a hand on each of my arms. He was wearing black gloves, but they were soaked as well. Water was running down his face. "Please, Miss. Go home. Nothing happened here."

"I'm a journalist," I stammered in, "Please let me find out what happened."

I saw a few emotions flash across his face: anger, hatred, sorrow, and a definite presence of pain. "Go. Home," he ordered, his voice sterner than ever. "If you don't comply, then we will be forced to take you into the station for questioning."

My face would've paled if it wasn't already frozen. I turned around and left without saying a word. Sketch stared at the man as we walked forward.

When we were a fairer distance away, I looked back. The ambulance was already gone, and the police car was driving away.

I reached my hand up and touched my cheek. Cold and cold, wet and wet. My eyes were blurry, and my face was soaked. My legs were wobbling and I was trembling all over; I'm glad that Sketch was there with me.

Why?...

* * *

The doctor finished up on the phone, and turned to me. I hadn't noticed when I first came in, but it was actually her neighbor, Doctor Chad Zimmerman, and his eyes held the remains of what must have been tears. He walked over to me, and without saying a word, pushed my wheelchair up to Nicole's bed, and pulled up his own chair. We sat there for a few minutes, neither speaking, until I broke down into another sobbing fit. She looked... so peaceful, laying there in the bed. She looked like an angel. So much like an angel.

"I...I just don't know how to say anything, Richard," Dr. Zimmerman said as he patted my back. "It's... I have no clue how to say anything. Dammit, why'd it have to be her!?" He slammed his fist onto the bed. He was as shaken up, if not moreso, than me. "Is this really what we end up as? No final goodbyes, no chance to speak up and be heard? She didn't deserve to die. No one does." He was visibly shaking, and I started to pat his back. We sat there, our roles reversed; him mourning over the loss of someone very much like the daughter he never had, and me offering what little condolences I could.

I wanted to try to comfort him more than that though, just like how he had tried, but I felt the same way. Why had it been her? She did nothing to deserve to die. She was the greatest person I had ever known. She had been my love. And now that love was forcefully shattered, taken away from me and everyone else.

_But not truly,_ that part of me that was still thinking straight said. _She'll always be with you all. Always watching over you. And, in return, you'll continue spreading her memory. Taking her name to new heights. You and her memory._

It was the the truth and I knew it. She'd always be with us, but it wasn't the same without her actually being there, laughing as I told jokes, or hearing her voice as she explained how she wanted her journey to work out. She had always wanted an Eevee, or a Vulpix, or sometimes she'd even go on to say she'd start with a Torchic or some other foreign bred Pokemon. She had randomly shown up at my house one day with that egg, and she never did tell me what was inside. I just knew that it, if it survived, would be the legacy of what would have been her Pokemon Trainer career. Unless I took up that legacy for her.

"Chad?" I asked the still-trembling doctor. He looked up, and stared straight at my eyes. His were just big black disks, filled with tears. I wish I hadn't expended all of mine already. "What did her parents say?"

He stopped moving, and I saw the inaudible sigh escape his lips. "They want to come straight away. I was lucky that I could get a hold of them, I guess, becasue apparently her father was going to be leaving on another out-of-town business trip. They should be here shortly."

I breathed deeply. Lucky that her father was still around. Luck played a part in her death. "And what else?"

"They... they didn't say much else. I could hear them both crying loudly as I told them what had happened to their daughter. It... I tried to comfort them, tried, but I was crying right alongside them. It... oh Mew, why why was it her." He started to shake again, but quickly stood when a nurse came in looking for him. He left, leaving me and Nicole alone.

So peaceful. I was crying again, and I buried my head half into her bedsheets. I cried, and cried, and by the time I knew it, Chad and her parents came in, her mother carrying the egg. Her father took the seat Chad had left beside me, and stared at his daughter. No one said anything, and Chad quietly excused himself to go look over another patient. We sat there, in the dim lights of the hospital room, and cried for Mew knows how long, until finally a nurse, different than the one that had taken Chad away, came in and told us it was time to leave. She told me that my father was here to pick me up, and Nicole's parents that they could come down to the reception room to arrange the date for the funeral.

I was wheeled out to my father's car, handed a pair of crutches, and off we went.

* * *

It was dark. Dark and cold. I had no clue where I was, or what I was, or even who I was. I just existed. It was bleak during those moments in time. Everything just was. Until a small light appeared, and I got my first glimpse of where, what, and who.

The light fast approached, and I saw that it was not just a light, but a creature. A pink creature with an extremely long tail. A creature I knew, even if I didn't know how. "Mew."

The Mew didn't answer. It floated level with my eyes, and just waited. For what? Or who? I didn't know. It just waited, floating there. I chanced saying something else, something that popped into my mind that I didn't quite understand, but felt it would get the conversation rolling. "Nice weather we're having, isn't it?"

The Mew's bright sky-blue eyes, which had been focused on me, fell, and it's body tensed up, and I knew that maybe I had said something wrong. But before I could apologize, it spoke. "Do you know where you are, Nicole?" I didn't know anything of the sort, or even that that was my name, so I shook my head. I saw some of the tension go away, but there was still some left. "Good," it spoke. The voice wasn't rough, but still held a touch of anger and coldness that was easily identifiable as directed at me. "Do you want to know where you are?"

I nodded, and it tensed up again. "You are in the afterlife." I blankly stared at it, and it continued. "You died. Gone from life." Its tail flicked, the first movement I had seen from the appendage. I started to ask how that was possible, but it silenced me with a single glare. "You are dead, yes, but... I am here to offer you the chance to fix that."

"Fix it?" I blurted out. I wanted to stop myself, but I couldn't. "What do you mean fix it? How?"

The tail started to swish slightly, and it looked slightly less angry, but the voice was still cold when it responded with a simple, "I'll tell you." I waited, but it didn't say anything else. I was about to ask again when the tail tripped me and his eyes unfocused. "You will become a Pokemon, journeying along others of your new kind. You're legacy wasn't to die today. It wasn't to die at all; not for a long while. But chance and luck played their cards, and won. I have to clean up." The eyes, a terrifying red instead of the blue they had been, were now trained directly on me. "I cannot do that, however, without your cooperation. Do you accept life, or will you falter as many others have done?"

I looked up into those eyes, and searching for an answer. But, if the Mew expected me to answer yes or no, it didn't show. So instead, I thought over the offer. Life again... but I didn't know as what, or with who, or where I would end up. I hardly even knew who I was right now. But life... Life was something I could get behind at any cost. I nodded. It was worth any cost.

The Mew nodded in response, and I felt a small tingle through my body. "You will be doing a great justice for yourself, accepting this offer. Do not squander this gift so many want, and so many have already given up on." I tried to nod, but my entire body was paralyzed. I couldn't move at all. And then all was darkness again, with a small set of words echoing around inside my new darkness. "It's almost time for it to hatch. Are you sure you want to do this?"


	5. Cruel Joke

**That took too long. Ugh, I'll let my co-author explain. Also, due to something I've read from Srge, I can't thank you reviewers here, but I'll try and get a response out to each of your reviews.**

We apologise for the long delay in our story. Conflicts has caused us to both be unavailable to continue writing. I hope that we have not lost too many readers in our leave of absence, as we plan on starting the next chapter soon. On a side note, each of us are now directly responsible for our respective characters.

* * *

**Chapter 4: Cruel Joke**

That voice... sounded so familiar. Its words reverberated, bouncing through wherever it was that I was. It slowly dimmed, and then faded out. I didn't know how long that had took, or if I missed anything that was said, for it became very quiet. The darkness was pushing in on me, crushing me. I attempted to push back, and it pushed again. I struggled to keep pushing against its weight, and was rewarded by a spark of light shining onto me. I pushed my way to the light, and threw myself at it. My prison shattered, and I was up against a soft form. I forced my eyes open, and was greeted by a harsh and blinding light.

I quickly shut them again, colors dancing before my eyes, and I heard that voice from earlier, even louder now, say "It's an Eevee? I thought she had gotten a Vulpix..."

A different voice answered, this one seemingly coming from right above me. "It doesn't matter what it is. The fact is that it survived, and you promised that I could take it if, when, it hatched. It's all I have left of her now."

I opened my eyes again, slowly this time, so the light wouldn't hurt them, and looked up. There was a boy of about seventeen, with light brown hair and emerald green eyes, staring down at me. Water, tears, rolled down his face, splashing me. I... made a noise at him, a chirp, and he chuckled. "Sorry there, little guy. Didn't mean to get you wet." He smiled, and I chirped again. He turned his attention away from me, and I followed his gaze until I saw a woman sitting on another seat across from him. She was staring at me too, but her blue eyes weren't full of hope, or happiness, but rather a strange mix of hatred and sadness.

That gaze... it was so familiar... "Those were our conditions, yes. If the Pokemon survived, then you got to keep it. Him, it looks like. You also get her pass onto the S.S. Anne to start your own adventure. In her name, so you claim." Her voice was so familiar too. I tried to think why it would be, but I kept drawing blanks.

"Very well then. Would you kindly give me the ticket?" The boy whose lap I was on asked. His voice... It hit me like the Magnet Train in Saffron. That was Richard's voice. I was on his lap. And the woman, my mother, had said I was an Eevee. And a male one at that. I felt tiny tears forming in my eyes, and I tried to blink them back as I thought _It... it can't be. I can't be a Pokemon. I can't be a guy. I can't. _My mind traveled back, searching for answers, hoping it was just a very bad dream. But no, I remembered diving after that egg, _the one I hatched out of_, surfacing and getting to safety. I remembered slipping, and then there was just darkness. And then the Mew. I was an idiot for accepting this. But then I remembered what else he had said. _"You will be doing a great justice for yourself, accepting this offer. Do not squander this gift so many want, and so many have already given up on." _This was a gift? To be reborn, surely that was a gift, and the one I was promised, but I was a girl, not a guy. My tears fell onto Rick's lap, but they went unnoticed by him.

Rick reached out his hand to grab a small ticket from my mother. It was a ticket for a one-way ride out to Johto on the S.S. Anne. I had to save a fortune to get that one ticket, a fortune that took much more determination and many more tears than what traveled down my fur now. "There you are, Richard. One ticket for the S.S. Anne, or whichever cruise ship comes along to take you out to Johto." She looked at me again, and it seemed she did not even try to keep the hatred out of her eyes, especially when she noticed the small, wet stain that my tears were causing. "Take care of him. While my husband and I may have more to remember her by, that Eevee is still the last living reminder of her." Rick nodded, and my mother sighed. "Are you sure you don't want to get a different ticket for a later date? You'll be missing her funeral. The two of you were very close. A little bit too intimate, I think."

We both colored, and my tears stopped; it seemed that my mother knew more about our relationship than either of us had thought. "I'm sure, ma'am. I don't have enough money to purchase a different ticket, and this will be the last boat out of here this month. I can't afford to miss it, even though it pains me to."

She nodded curtly, and stood. "Well then, Richard, it seems that our business together is done. Take the ticket and the Eevee, and head on out. I'll get your crutch for you." She went out of the family room, which was I finally realized the room was despite everything being nearly triple in size, and walked out to our entrance hallway. Crutches, though? Was his injury that bad?

His sigh drew my attention back to him, and he smiled at me again. "Well, little guy, it seems we're partners now. The two of us, in this journey, together." Another tear fell on me, and then another. I knew why he was crying, but he didn't know I knew, and just smiled again and said, "It's nothing. I'm just happy to have you as my partner." I tried to say something, but it came out as another chirp. I tried again, and it came out with more frustration in it, but it was still a chirp. I couldn't even form words properly. That started my small flow of tears again, but it didn't last long.

My mother returned with a single crutch, and helped Richard stand up and grab it. She picked me up, not very gently, and walked out to the door with Rick following. She opened it, and he hopped out into a brisk night. She handed me to him, and thanked him for coming over. The door closed, a bit too forcefully, and Rick sighed. "I really do hate that woman." He turned, myself in one arm and the other supporting his left leg on a crutch, and started back for his place. "Sometimes she reminds me of the devil." I chirped again in agreement, and he chuckled. "Well, my house is only a few places away. We should get home and get some rest for tomorrow. That's when the boat is leaving." He started to hobble down the path that would be the fastest to his place from mine, and shuddered slightly. "It doesn't matter that the funeral isn't until the day after. I really don't want to miss it. But I have to unless I want to keep the promise I made to her." He sighed. "Nicole... if only you could be with me right now..." His tears fell again at a slow pace, dripping onto the concrete sidewalk.

I thought my life had become a cruel joke from the gods. Why else would I be here now, a guy, unable to communicate at all, hatching from the egg that was going to be my starter, only to be the starter of my best friend? I myself gave out a small sigh, and thought, _If only you knew I was right here with you now... _My tears joined his, and together we left a trail away from my home. Away from my old life.


	6. Ship Of Dreams

**Well huh. That took too long, I think. Time to give an explanation, just in case some want to know.**

**I based Nicole's being a male on, well, breeding mechanics. Eevee are born male 87.5% of the time. Which means one in every eight is born female. That's not good odds for Nicole. So, what happened is her Eevee would have been born male, and was still going to be born male when she took its place. Because it was bred as an egg. Now, over to Mr. Anon for his bit:**

I apologise for the delays yet again. We've been busy over the past while, and I've been having to deal with some medical issues that are yet to be resolved. I also apolgoise for not having replied to any of the reviews from the last chapter; I will make comments on both reviews this time around. I thank all of our readers greatly for still staying by.

* * *

Brilliance.

I stared out over the ocean and gazed as the golden crimson was just over the horizon. Unmoving, but I knew that it was; it would all disappear very shortly.

I had taken a picture.

Rei was resting on my shoulder, watching as well. I've had the Riolu by my side for as long as I could remember. I guessed that it would all begin shortly, the start of my journey.

The ship was rocking slightly, but it was unnoticeable. The waves weren't at all particularly strong today. The wind was playing with my hair, though not from strong gusts, but due to the movement of the boat; I could tell because my camera still hung heavy around my neck.

I loved the way that the sun was playing with the scenery, spreading its radiant wings across the world. I spun around when I heard the thump of boots on metal. The Captain was heading down the light-coloured stairs, and it looked as if he had come to see me. The crew must be manning the boat right now.

He had a great white beard, his eyes were dull, and he wore a special uniform; his special pins glared off of the fading sun. He looked just like a stereotypical ship captain, and it was great that he was friends with my father.

"Son," he said, "How are you doing out here?"

"Just fine," I replied, "Is something the matter?"

"Why, yes," he replied, "There's been a change of plans."

I felt a pang in my chest.

"Oh, what's happened?"

"The S.S. Anne, the Kanto cruise ship that travels mainly back and forth between Kanto and Johto, has been caught in some sort of storm."

"Wait, what?" I stared out over the calm ocean, and there wasn't a cloud in the sky. "Where is this?"

"Over somewhere between Orre and Johto. That ship was making some kind of delivery trip, though it was a cruise ship, and it was caught unexpectedly in a storm. It somehow evaded their radars and appeared out of nowhere." He looked back towards the top of the ship. "Anyways, it was supposed to pick up a small number of people in Johto, head over to Kanto, and go back to Johto again."

Another pang, though this one felt different.

"We've been called in to take over for the S.S. Anne in Kanto. We're not as large of a ship, but we've got more than enough room for the scheduled passengers. Another ship situated in Sunnyshore was asked to take our place. We're the closest ship to the location, and the only one with the ability to cover for them."

This sensation must've been evident on my face.

"Son, it was planned," began Captain, "that you would head to Hoenn, but I could easily drop you off in Johto instead, as that was where you wished to travel, right?"

Rei wrapped his arms around my head and cried out. "That'd be excellent," I replied, "Thank you so much."

He let out a jolly, bellowing laugh. "Ah, it's my pleasure. I'm glad that everything worked out for you."

"Yeah," I replied, slightly dazed, as I stared out over the ocean again.

The sun was nearly gone.

* * *

**Nicole's POV**

I tossed and turned all through the night, plagued with dreams. They were of all kinds of things, raging from my death, to Richard's death, to the hellish image of my mother's giant head staring down at me and telling me how horrible of a girl I was, and how much better I'd have been if I hadn't ever been born. She called me names, smacked me, and abused me. My father never stepped in to stop her. Sometimes he'd join in, yelling at me and screaming. But I was able to put up with it all thanks to Rick. Without him, I'd never have lasted as far as I had in life. But I guess it didn't matter; I died anyway.

It was a hard night to get though. I awoke time after time, scared to fall back asleep, but scared to stay up because of what I was now. I couldn't get past the fact that I was a male. It was all just one nightmarish sequence, everything that had happened to me in the span of a single day. My mind was having trouble keeping up, and probably nothing could help me focus on any of the positives. As far as I cared, there were none.

It was during one of those times that I woke up that I noticed a slight glint of sunlight on my eyelids, and realized that it was finally morning. I thanked whatever gods weren't Mew that I wouldn't have to suffer through any more nightmares, and opened my eyes to the sight of Richard silently crying, not making any sounds that I could catch. I stood up on my hind legs, trying to get feeling into them, and tried to take a step before tumbling over and down into the floor in front of him. He saw me, and his face broke into a smile. "Well there, little guy. What are you trying to do?"

I chirped at him, and winced when he lifted me up to put me back on the bed. He grabbed his crutch and stood, walking over to his dresser. My eyes followed him, but I forced them to break away to look elsewhere around the room. Everything was so much larger than it had been while I was human. His desk was covered with clothes piled everywhere and different papers that were probably receipts littered the floor around it. I wondered why there were so many receipts around, and was determined to find out. I glanced back over to him, and quickly looked away again, my cheeks getting very red and warm. Of course, I have seen him naked before, but this was quite different now that I was a Pokemon. I quickly shook the image out of my head, and attempted to walk to the edge of the bed, this time using all four legs.

That didn't work, even with all four legs, and I tumbled off the bed and onto the floor again. However, I had reached my destination, and struggled to get a clearer view of the words on the receipts. I looked at the nearest one, and had trouble not choking up as I noticed that it all looked like gibberish to me. I couldn't focus on a single one of the letters or numbers. It was all printed neatly, in English, but I couldn't understand a single letter. _Reborn as a guy, and I can't read?_

Before I could continue my train of thought at raging against Mew, Rick's hands picked me up, and he was looking down at me struggling in his grasp. "What are you trying to do, huh? Look at these old things?" He bent down and lifted up the receipt I had been looking at, and started to read off it. "Two chicken clubs and an order of fries. That's what it says. Date's a month ago." He smiled at me, and I stopped struggling. I was right, it seemed, _I'm illiterate now._

"Well, c'mon then. I packed up a bit after you went out, so after some breakfast we can leave." He hobbled over to his door, and opened it. He went down the hallway, which was full of old, framed photos of his father, mother, and even some of the two of us when we were younger. I recognized them all; at the small beachfront here in Vermilion, the trip we had went on to the Silph Company headquarters, and many other old pictures.

When we did get into the kitchen, both of Rick's parents were there at the table. His father's expression and emerald eyes was hard to read, but you could easily see concern on his mother's face. Right as soon as he took a seat, his father spoke. "Are you sure, Richard, that you don't want to stay for the funeral? I thought you of all people would want to."

His mother bustled about the kitchen, placing a plate in front of Rick before he responded. "I'm sure, Dad. You know as well as I do that this is the last boat out of here for the month, and it's a special cruise that Nicole spent her entire savings on. I won't let that go to waste."

"I know," was the response. "I just want you to know that your mother and I were... Well, thinking about keeping you here for the funeral anyway." Both my own mouth and Rick's dropped at that, and yet his father pushed on without giving him any time to disagree. "You two were close. Never did anything without the other, it seemed. The fact that you just want to run off tells us that you can't cope with her being dead. You need to face that and get over it. We're only looking out for you, is all."

Rick's mother sat at the last vacant seat, and sighed. Her face was full of worry as she looked over her son and myself on his lap. She sighed, and spoke, saying, "I know how much you want to go on the"

"It isn't how much I want to go," he butted in, stopping her from talking. "It's how much I need to go. How much what's left of my life with Nicole gone is worth that I go on this ship out to Johto. It's my fault she died. It was her dream that she went on this cruise and became the best trainer in Johto. I'm just going to let her dream live on in me."

All three of them grew silent, Richard glaring both of his parents, and they staring him down. His mother opened her mouth to speak again, but Rick intensified his glare on her, and she stayed quiet. His father finally broke the silence by saying, "I don't care how much you think going on that ship means. You aren't going on that ship. You owe her that much."

It was impossible to see, but I could feel Rick shaking, getting ready to explode. I wanted to calm him down, but there was nothing I could do. I cursed Mew with every word I could think of, and closed my eyes, not wanting to see what was about to occur.

But nothing did. Rick stood up, making sure not to knock me onto the ground, grabbed his crutch, and walked out of the kitchen. He went back into his room, grabbed a bag that I hadn't noticed was there on the bed, and just walked out the door. Neither of his parents came to stop him, despite what they had said about not letting him leave. They allowed him to just up and go out. My mother would have yelled at me and would have beaten me if I had attempted that.

Rick just kept walking. He turned down an alleyway that lead to one of the busiest streets in all of Vermilion, and kept on moving. He walked right out into some traffic, and drivers honked their horns and swore at him, but he didn't seem to really notice. It was like he was in a trance. He went down multiple different alleys, followed a bunch of back roads, walked though all the places we had played around as kids. And finally, although I wasn't sure how, he ended up at the one place I wouldn't have wanted to be at. The small pier that led onto the sea where we had spent a great deal of our time. The place where I died.

It hadn't taken long for him to get here, since the sun was still low in the sky. The large dock where the S.S. Anne was set to arrive was bustling with activity in preparation for the send off. Rick sat down on a crate, and stared off into the sea. He was gripping his crutch and me tightly, and when I tried to tell him as such, he looked shocked to find himself there. "Huh? What?" He loosened his grip on me, and I chirped happily.

He got back up, and turned to go over to the shipyard, when a vessel was approaching in this distance. It didn't look as large as the S.S. Anne was, but the dock's activity picked up tremendously. We both just stared off at it. It had to be the ship, then. The ship that would take us out of here and into Johto. The ship to fulfill our dreams.


	7. Kay, Thanks

**So hi again. We're here with the next chapter. I need to learn to actually respond to every review. OK, over to the co-author.**

Sorry for the delay. We've both been away for the past week, but we rushed to finish this chapter for all of our readers. This chapter is more of a filler, but there will be far more action once the story is truly started. I also haven't had time to reply to all of the reviews, though I have been slowly working away at them, but when I do I will also answer for the previous reviews as well.

* * *

_**Chloe**_

I handed the passes and other information sheets over to Sketch as I unlocked the door to our cabin. I pushed open the heavy metal door to reveal a darkened room. I flipped the switch for the ceiling light, revealing a small bed, a plastic garbage can, a basic wooden table, and two wooden chairs. The walls looked a bit worn-down, but I couldn't complain. I was just so glad to finally be on the ship, even if it wasn't the S.S. Anne. I took off my bag and laid it down on the ready-made bed, while Sketch reached up to place everything on the table for later. The floor was covered with a dull carpet that still complemented the overall interior design.

I let out a huge yawn before lying down and resting my eyes. I inquired about the tournament earlier, as this ship didn't have an equipped tournament space. Apparently the battles are to now take place on the main deck, with a few spectators along the railings and the most on the upper deck. I figured that it might be busy around that elevated area, so I decided that I'll give up the small chance for a good overhead view for the guaranteed chance of absolute visibility.

Sketch ran over to me with a grin on his face. He gave a cheer, and we high-fived.

"Yeah, I know! We're finally on the ship!" We began to laugh, but then I let out another yawn. My partner followed with one as well.

I took a peek at my worn-out but still usable wristwatch. _Oh, mustn't forget to change time zones later on._

I admit that I don't normally restrain myself with things like time, but I certainly didn't want to miss any meals, especially since this is an all-inclusive trip.

I was about to ask Sketch for the cruise's schedule, but he was already bringing it over from the table.

"Thanks." I glanced over it, and then I took Sketch in for a big hug. "There's going to be an early buffet dinner tonight. I'm going to take a nap, so could you wake me up in two hours?"

"Smear!" I handed Sketch my old watch before he curled up for a quick snooze as well. He doesn't sleep as much as I do, so he'd be able to wake me up.

He also got more sleep.

I took my glasses off and lied down on the bed. I was certainly tired… especially after all that happened that night.

I felt myself gradually doze off. I was excited about finally being here, but… something felt different…

Strange…

But positive…

I guess this is what it truly is.

It felt like something was going to happen, and it was up to me to be there when it does.

No matter what it takes…

* * *

_**Nicole**_

The boat pulled into the docks around noon. Tons of people, some no more than ten, others into their later years of life, had crowded around where the platform was going to come down so we could all board. Rick and I were in the back, still outside the gate, and could see the name of the ship we were boarding with my ticket. The S.S. Elincia. It looked to just be a smaller cruise ship than the S.S. Anne, but why they were using it I had no clue.

Everyone waited for the boarding stairs to be positioned in place. Passengers were jostling each other, some of the older people were yelling at their kids; it was a grueling endeavor. Finally, the platform was lowered and locked, and everyone scrambled up it, a few almost being pushed over the guardrails. Rick's eyes were slightly unfocused, so I chirped, and he came to. He walked over to the gate from where we had been watching, and handed his ticket over to the clerk there.

He looked at it, and stopped us before we could go any further. "I'm sorry, sir, but this doesn't seem to be your ticket. You can't be allowed on our ship."

"Huh? What do you mean?" Rick asked the man. He eyed us up and down, his brown eyes scanning quickly over Rick and lasting on me for a bit. I looked away from him, and he cleared his throat.

"Well, you need to have a ticket. You do. However, it also needs to have your name on it, since this is a special cruise. Unless you're name is Nicole, sir, I can't let you on this cruise."

Rick looked at the clerk, and I could see he eyes grow a bit colder for a split second. At least, I think I did. "My friend gave me that ticket so I could go see her in Johto," was his reply.

The clerk smiled. "Ah. The Eevee a gift for her then?" I made a tiny growl, and Rick glared, so the clerk shut up. "But still. She should have ordered the ticket in your name, sir. I'll have to clear it with the ship captain, since anyone could easily forge such a ticket. We had a problem with that before the S.S. Anne took off last."

"Can't you just let us on now, sir? It'd be easier, and no one would have to know." Rick was gambling now, hoping that the clerk wouldn't want any more work on his hands than he probably already had.

His face turned thoughtful, but I thought for certain he would tell us no and we'd be out of a ticket and the entire journey, when he nodded. "Sure, sir. I'll let you get on. You don't seem like one of those odd people last time, either. However, since your ticket," he waved down at it, lying on the table, "is addressed for a 'Ms. Nicole,' we'll have to call you that until you leave the ship."

I blinked, trying to absorb what the clerk had said, but Rick took it in stride. "Alright then. I'll live with it until we're in Johto. Thank you for letting us onto the ship."

Rick walked through the gate, and up to the door. As he opened it, the clerk smiled back at us and said, "Don't worry, Miss! I wouldn't have turned you down anyway." We could hear his laughing as we walked out onto the pier where the ship awaited its passengers. We were finally on our way to Johto, albeit under a false name.

* * *

_**Unknown Male Character**_

Rei and I were down by the nose of the S.S. Elincia, on the uppermost deck; no one could see us from the pier.

My Riolu partner was enjoying the sea breeze, not to say that I was not. I was multi-tasking, using the camera to take zoomed pictures of the passengers. From my understanding, this cruise is supposed to have a special beginner's tournament for low-level Pokemon. I figured that I could sell some pictures from early on at far greater value any time in the future. The crowd…

didn't look all too promising.

There weren't all too many passengers coming on board, and none of them looked like competent or potential trainers. Surprisingly, none of these beginners had any Pokemon out. Back at home, it wasn't rare to see children carrying their starters around wherever they went. However, that surge of people scrambling to board the ship wasn't exactly a common sight either.

I brushed a bit of my hair away from my forehead; the wind decided to be annoying that day.

_Hmmm…_

I took a picture.

There was a young woman boarding the ship, and I happened to notice that a Smeargle was following her. She didn't seem to be a trainer.

I started mumbling to myself. "Nice length… colour… Glasses, but who car-"

Rei whacked me on the head. "Ri!"

I turned my head and glared at Rei. My camera fell loose around my neck as I put her down.

"Hey," I scolded back, "I'm allowed to check out the ladies while I still can. I'm going to be stuck with a bunch of bratty children when the tournament starts. Hmph, never mind what I just said. We might as well just skip the tournament, because there isn't any potential on this ship anyways."

"Ri!" she yelled at me again. She sounded pissed, but I've been used to it for a long time now.

I resumed my search as Rei began to run off and explore more of the ship.

I took another picture; it was for my financial interests. A kid, I'd say in his mid-teens, just started boarding the ship. He had an Eevee in his arms; those aren't too common, but his clothes looked even shabbier than mine. I'd say that he probably had some kind of connections.

It was just then that I noticed something was off. He was walking as if he was limping, and it seemed as if he was using a crutch. _What was an injured guy doing travelling? He should be in a hospital or something, even if they're all actually useless._

That boy fell out of my sight eventually. It was a long time before another passenger came by, and the quality of my search sort of fell through the floor from there.

It seemed as if these new trainers are getting worse and worse with each passing year. It's amazing that the Pokemon League still holds itself up.

I felt some tugging on my pants leg, and I realised that my partner had returned. I picked her up and put her back on my shoulder. "Didn't find anything did you?"

She shook her head in response; there wasn't much left that she hadn't explored anyways.

"You should've stayed here with me," I teased.

I got another whack in the head for that.

"Hey, well, I found one potential trainer."

I was about to add that he should be hospitalized, but she was already glaring at me as if to say, "Only one! Perhaps I should've stayed to keep you in check."

I began to walk us back to the room. "Well, I only got one other interesting picture, so it doesn't really matter too much."

I heard a sigh in my ear, but as I was heading down the deck, I felt Rei jerk. "RI!" she cried out, pointing at something. I turned my head in that direction; I saw that she was pointing at the empty boarding area. The water was moving, but there wasn't all too much glare.

"There's nothing there," I replied, "You were probably seeing things again."

I heard another sigh in my ear as we left.

* * *

_**Third-Person Perspective **_

It was much later when the clerk took a peek at his wristwatch. _Just about time to wrap it up_, he thought to himself as he reached to start locking up the cash register. He noticed how calm everything looked in the gate terminal.

What he didn't notice was the low-lying figure slip through the automatic doors by the pier. He didn't notice that more than one figure had entered that time, along with the final registered passenger.

"_Excuse me?"_

What he happened to notice was that the thought he just heard in his head had a completely different _feel_ to it.

He quickly jerked his hand away from the main desk, quite startled by the sudden noise. He spun his head around side to side, but there was no one in sight.

_Was it even something that I heard? _

"_Down here!"_

He glanced his feet, and realised that there was something else by his feet. He sprung back, nearly slipping, and saw that it was an Espeon.

"_You okay?" _it thought.

Hand on his chest, quite distressed by the fact that a wild Pokemon had worked its way into the terminal, he gasped, "What are you doing here?"

His sight came into focus when he realised that there was actually an object clamped in between the Pokemon's jaws. The Espeon gradually approached and placed the brown wallet by the man's feet.

"_I'd like to make a purchase"."_

"Wait," replied the clerk, "What?"

The Espeon stared up at the man with its shaded eyes. _I'd like to purchase a ticket for this cruise._

The man put a hand through his hair and shook his head. "Ugh, you've got to be joking. I'm sorry little guy, but we don't all-"

"_Allow wild Pokemon to rent out rooms on a cruise, but it's also against regulations to admit someone onto a ship using someone else's ticket." _

The man's face paled.

"_I assure you_," the Espeon thought-spoke with what appeared to be a subtle but smug grin, "_that boy's name isn't 'Nicole.' Oh, and profit is profit. I'm sure that anyone would mind if someone else joined this cruise; I know that there's more than enough room. Pardon that minor pun."_

The man sighed as he reached down and picked up the wallet. There wasn't any identification in there; it was just a plain wallet void of all but a few large bills.

"Fine, fine, fine, what do you want?" the man said as he walked back over to the cash register. The Espeon moved out of the way as well. "_Just a standard room. It's going to be quite large considering my size. I think that there should be enough money in that wallet, but I can't really tell." _

The clerk took a quick peek; there was definitely more than enough. He reached in for a suitable amount, but dared not try to cheat the Pokemon; he was sure that it would immediately recognise such a plan. He tapped away at the keyboard, registering the room as occupied. Just as the ticket was finished printing and he had sorted out the change, everything, ticket, money, wallet, floated into the air. He turned back towards the ground, where he saw the change fit itself into the wallet, and the pass and the wallet go into the Espeon's mouth. "'_Kay thanks," _was the thought that echoed in the man's head as the Pokemon ran out onto the pier in a purple blur.


	8. NOTICE: CHAPTER DELAYED

**NOTICE: CHAPTER DELAYED INDEFINETLY**

**So what's this about? I'll be blunt. My co-author and I had a sort of falling out. A bad one, by my gauge. As such, I won't be speaking with him for a long time probably, and therefore we won't be able to finish the next chapter. So sorry to everyone who's been waiting patiently for the story to get a move on. If we ever get back to speaking terms so we can finish the next chapter, the plot will start picking up. But until then, there is just this notice (which is probably against FF's rules, but I don't care) saying that we're going on a hiatus for an indefinite amount of time. If you'd like to say something, pop me a message. If you'd like to say something to him, search for the author "Shadow's Co-Writer". Thank you. **


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